Hit and Run Accident Attorneys in Fort Lauderdale, Florida

Fort Lauderdale Hit and Run Automobile Accident Injury Attorney

Over the last decade or so, the number of automobiles on American roads has grown steadily. The growth is projected at around 16.5% from 2012 and is set to reach just less than 290 million by the end of 2021. It’s no wonder then, that there are more than six million automobile accidents on US roads annually.

A disturbing statistic is that, in one in eight of these accidents, one of the parties leaves the scene of the accident. The so-called hit-and-run accidents. The last known statistic put hit-and-run accidents at over 737,000 in 2015. That’s one approximately every 43 seconds. Hit-and-run accidents cause more than 2,000 deaths per year while almost 140,000 people suffer various degrees of injury or incapacitation.

Right to financial compensation

In most, if not all hit-and-run accidents, the victims may be entitled to financial compensation for damages suffered. Where the victim is killed, relatives may be entitled to a claim for wrongful death. The laws governing personal injury claims resulting from hit-and-run accidents and the associated legal processes are determined by each state.

With a few exceptions, the laws and processes for hit-and-run accidents are quite similar across all states. It is, therefore, usually quite straightforward to file a claim. Even if it may require a lot of time and effort to collect all the evidence and medical facts to support a successful hit-and-run accident claim.

Hit-and-run accident cases, on the other hand, are made somewhat more complicated by the fact that the identity of the offending party is unknown. Hit-and-run accidents are taken very seriously throughout the US. Particularly if they result in a fatality, personal injury, or significant property damage.

Filing a claim

The laws, although potentially onerous to the offender, do not protect the victim in any way. The victim of a hit-and-run accident has to rely on a civil personal injury lawsuit in order to have any shot at compensation like medical expenses. The defendant in these cases is also not a simple clear-cut issue. Usually, claims are filed against the offender and his insurer jointly or severally.

Where the offender of a hit-and-run accident is not found, the claim can only be filed against the victim’s own insurance company. This, in itself, is a whole convoluted set of issues and caveats. First and foremost, the victim has to have insurance. The next thing to consider is the uninsured motorist coverage offered by the victim’s policy.

Motor insurance policies frequently have several types of insurance coverage to mitigate different types of risk. Comprehensive policies almost always have personal injury, public liability, and asset damage cover. For a hit-and-run accident claim you would likely claim under all three elements of cover.

 

The laws, although potentially onerous to the offender, do not protect the victim in any way. The victim of a hit-and-run accident has to rely on a civil personal injury lawsuit in order to have any shot at compensation like medical expenses. The defendant in these cases is also not a simple clear-cut issue. Usually, claims are filed against the offender and his insurer jointly or severally.

Where the offender of a hit-and-run accident is not found, the claim can only be filed against the victim’s own insurance company. This, in itself, is a whole convoluted set of issues and caveats. First and foremost, the victim has to have insurance. The next thing to consider is the uninsured motorist coverage offered by the victim’s policy.

Motor insurance policies frequently have several types of insurance coverage to mitigate different types of risk. Comprehensive policies almost always have personal injury, public liability, and asset damage cover. For a hit-and-run accident claim you would likely claim under all three elements of cover.

CONSULT THE EXPERTS 

Claiming damages following a Fort Lauderdale hit-and-run accident is fraught with obstacles and pitfalls. If you have been the victim of a hit-and-run accident, you must consult a hit-and-run automobile accident injury attorney as soon as possible.  

These lawyers usually have many years of experience dealing with hit-and-run auto accident claims. They often have people on their team that do nothing else. They have intimate knowledge of all the applicable laws. They have often worked in the same state for years. They know all the interpretations of past hit-and-run accident cases. They know the judges and the car accident attorneys. They know all the tricks and how to deal with them.

The sooner you contact a Fort Lauderdale hit-and-run accident injury lawyer, the better chance you have of getting all the necessary evidence and documents for a successful claim. Your lawyer will be able to guide you step by step and will be on hand to answer any questions you may have along the way.

Build a solid hit-and-run accident legal case 

Damage claims are a challenge to win at the best of times. Irrespective of who the defendant is, their sole objective is to limit the amount awarded. In reality, the defendant will usually be the insurance company and their defense lawyers. They are, arguably, just as experienced as your experienced car accident lawyer. They also know every trick and they know how to play them.

It is imperative, therefore that the case is built correctly. Here are a few things you should and shouldn’t do if you have been the victim of a hit-and-run accident.

• Don’t try to follow the hit-and-run driver. You must not leave the scene of the car accident. This may jeopardize your case. It may also be dangerous as you have no idea what state of mind the other at-fault driver is in.

• Call 911 immediately if you are able to and if you or any other person is injured.

• Unless you are incapacitated, try to make notes of all the details you can remember about the hit-and-run motor vehicle accident.

  • Details of the car such as make, model, and color

  • License plate

  • Details of any damage you were able to see

  • The direction the car was traveling in

  • Description of the driver

  • When and where the accident occurred

  • Pictures of the accident scene

    • Your car – showing where you brought the car to a halt

    • Damage to the car

    • Any skid marks or other relevant markings such as crushed grass on the roadside, etc.

  • Call the police as quickly as possible to report the hit-and-run accident. Relaying as much as possible of the information mentioned above will increase the chances that the police may trace the other driver.

  • If there were any eyewitnesses present, get as many statements as possible to corroborate the details you have recorded.

  • As soon as possible after the accident, contact a Fort Lauderdale hit-and-run accident injury lawyer for a free case evaluation. They will analyze the hit-and-run case, review all the evidence you have collected, and give you guidance on how to proceed.

  • Keep records and copies of all documents that will support your claim for financial compensation. This should include:

    • All medical bills and medical examinations and diagnosis reports

    • A statement from your employer confirming your absence from work due to injury or trauma. The statement should specify details of any lost time deductions made against your wages. It should also specify, where relevant, any reduction in future wages due to reduced capacity to perform your job

    • Any other information that may relate to costs incurred or that may be incurred in the future as a direct result of injuries sustained in the car accidents.

A hit-and-run accident can be a very traumatic event for the victim. You do not have to endure the suffering and the stress of financial loss on your own, though. There are many people whose job is to help you cope with the situation. Don’t hesitate to call your hit-and-run accident lawyer in Fort Lauderdale today for free consultation and get personal injury protection: 954-951-0000.